54 Eaton Square: The Belgravia apartment that upstages all others

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Melissa York

The living area with fireplace

If you’re interested in literature or science, there are a multitude of properties that once housed prestigious individuals in their fields. Architectural admirers, too, have a plethora of period properties in the capital that are considered historical gems. But for movie fans, the homes of their silver screen heroes remain relatively illusive.

An apartment on sale in one of the smartest squares in Belgravia is perhaps one of the most impressive properties for film buffs to have entered the London market in recent years. The spacious two-bedroom home at 54 Eaton Square resides within the building where Vivian Leigh (star of Gone with the Wind and the film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire) lived with her husband, the legendary Laurence Olivier. Leigh lived in the building from 1958 until her death in 1967, but Olivier left following their divorce.

The smart facade of 54 Eaton Square

A blue plaque commemorating the building’s glamorous former inhabitants is displayed outside the property, as part of the London-wide English Heritage scheme. While the organisation says there’s no firm evidence one of its prestigious plaques increases the value of a property, “houses bearing blue plaques do stand out.”

Another unique addition for the buyer of this first floor apartment is a uniformed round-the-clock porter, a service that’s shared with other exclusive addresses within the Grosvenor Estate.

The master bedroom

“This property is considered the finest of its type within an address that provides ‘old school’ service now lost in similar prime addresses,” says Tim des Forges, director at WA Ellis, the prime central London estate agency selling the property. “Eaton Square is visually stunning due to Grosvenor Estate’s management and its total control over the maintenance, meaning unsightly scaffolding does not blight individual buildings throughout the year.”

High ceilings and six sets of French windows add to its charm, while the drawing room and master bedroom also have access to a balcony that runs the width of the property overlooking communal gardens.

54 Eaton Square is on sale for £8.25m. For more information or viewings, call sales agent WA Ellis on 020 7306 1600 or visit waellis.com.